JP5351088B2 - Auxiliary rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles and electric vehicles - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an electric vehicle and an auxiliary rechargeable battery for the electric vehicle.

  Normally, when the battery of a gasoline engine vehicle is exhausted, it is possible to start the engine by temporarily supplying power from the rechargeable battery of another vehicle using a booster cable or the like. As long as the engine is started, the electric power necessary for the electric system can be generated by the built-in generator, so that it can travel normally.

  On the other hand, in the case of an electric vehicle, it is driven only by charging or other electric power. Therefore, when the rechargeable battery runs out, it is necessary to charge the rechargeable battery first. An electric vehicle has a connection port for charging on the vehicle body, and a connection cable from an external power supply device (rapid charging device or commercial power supply) is connected to the connection port for charging via a plug. Time charging is performed (Patent Document 1).

  However, if the rechargeable battery rises in a place where there is no external power supply device, it will not be possible to charge, and the electric vehicle cannot be moved from there.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a charging assist device for an electric vehicle. This charging assist device makes the traveling battery device mounted on the body of an electric vehicle portable, and can be carried near the outlet of a commercial power source in the house without using an extension cord, for example, and charged with the commercial power source. Is possible. Therefore, although it has a self-propelled function by providing a self-propelled wheel and an auxiliary motor that drives the self-propelled wheel, it does not assume a long conveyance such as 100 m or more.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-161884 JP 2004-304950 A

  An object of the present invention is to provide an electric vehicle that can be temporarily traveled so that an auxiliary rechargeable battery can be easily connected to a charging connection port when the rechargeable battery of the electric vehicle is exhausted.

  The present invention is also intended to provide an auxiliary rechargeable battery suitable for the electric vehicle described above.

  According to the present invention, an electric vehicle that travels by driving a motor with electric power from a rechargeable battery, the electric vehicle having a connection port for receiving power supply from an external power source and charging the rechargeable battery, By connecting an auxiliary rechargeable battery having a connection portion for an auxiliary rechargeable battery that can be connected to the connection port when the rechargeable battery rises, the electric vehicle can be temporarily driven by supplying power from the auxiliary rechargeable battery. An electric vehicle is provided.

  The electric vehicle includes a control unit that controls driving of the motor, and the control unit charges the rechargeable battery by connecting an external power supply connection portion connected to the external power supply to the connection port. While having an interlock function that prevents the motor from starting, and having a determination function for determining that the auxiliary rechargeable battery connection portion is connected to the connection port, A control unit cancels | releases the said interlock function, when it determines with the said connection part for auxiliary | assistant rechargeable batteries being connected to the said connection port.

  In the electric vehicle described above, the voltage of the connection port when the rechargeable battery is charged by the power supply from the external power source and the voltage of the connection port when the auxiliary rechargeable battery is connected are also used. The control unit is set so as to cause a difference, and the control unit can determine that the auxiliary rechargeable battery connection portion is connected to the connection port based on the voltage detected for the connection port. .

  In the above-described electric vehicle, the external power supply connection portion and the auxiliary rechargeable battery connection portion each include at least two surplus terminals in addition to the plurality of terminals for supplying power, while the connection port is A plurality of terminals for supplying power, a plurality of terminals connectable to the at least two surplus terminals, and at least two surplus terminals of one of the connection part for external power supply and the connection part for auxiliary rechargeable battery Are connected to the control unit, and the control unit is connected to the connection port for the external power supply. And determining whether or not there is a short circuit between the two surplus terminals in the auxiliary rechargeable battery connecting portion, thereby determining that the auxiliary rechargeable battery connecting portion is connected to the connection port. It can be carried out.

  According to the present invention, there is also provided an electric vehicle that travels by driving a motor with electric power from a rechargeable battery, the electric vehicle having a connection port for receiving electric power from an external power source and charging the rechargeable battery. The auxiliary rechargeable battery is provided with a connection portion for an auxiliary rechargeable battery that can be connected to the connection port, and the power from the auxiliary rechargeable battery is connected by connecting the auxiliary rechargeable battery to the connection port when the rechargeable battery rises. Supplying provides an auxiliary rechargeable battery to allow temporary running of the electric vehicle.

  In the auxiliary rechargeable battery, the voltage of the auxiliary rechargeable battery is set to be higher or lower than the voltage at the connection port when the rechargeable battery is charged by supplying power from the external power source. You may do it.

  It is desirable that the above-mentioned auxiliary rechargeable battery has a weight and size that can be easily carried and can be always loaded into an electric vehicle.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to connect an auxiliary rechargeable battery even when the external power supply device is not nearby, such as a rechargeable battery rising in a parking lot, particularly a mechanical parking lot, or a rechargeable battery rising during traveling. It is possible to travel temporarily, and it is possible to move to a place where the external power supply device is located or a safe place even if the vehicle is stopped.

It is the figure which showed the minimum structure required for description of embodiment of this invention among the structures of the electric vehicle to which this invention is applied. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows schematic structure of the connection port shown by FIG. It is the figure which abbreviate | omitted and showed the auxiliary | assistant rechargeable battery which concerns on embodiment of this invention which has a connection part which can be connected to the connection port shown in FIG. It is the figure which looked at the connection part of the auxiliary | assistant rechargeable battery shown by FIG. 3 from the arrow A direction of FIG.

  Before describing the embodiment of the present invention, the preconditions for application of the present invention will be described.

  The electric vehicle cannot start up the motor while the external power supply device and the electric vehicle are connected and charged at a place where the external power supply device is located. This is because the electric vehicle is connected to the external power supply device while the electric vehicle is being charged, so that it is necessary not to start the electric vehicle and disconnect the connecting cable during charging. For this reason, the electric vehicle is usually provided with an interlock function that prevents the motor from being activated while the rechargeable battery is being charged. For example, an electric vehicle includes a control unit that controls the entire electric system, and this control unit recognizes that the rechargeable battery is being charged during charging, and starts a motor for driving. I can't do it. This is realized, for example, by disabling the start operation by blocking the start signal from the motor start key or button.

  For this reason, even if a rechargeable battery having a connection portion that can be connected to the connection port of the electric vehicle and having a capacity capable of accommodating the running of the electric vehicle is prepared as an auxiliary rechargeable battery, the interlock as described above is used. In the case of an electric vehicle having a function, if an auxiliary rechargeable battery is connected to the connection port, the control unit determines that the rechargeable battery is being charged and the interlock function is activated, so it cannot be used as an auxiliary rechargeable battery.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and the main focus is on enabling temporary running when an electric vehicle is recharged.

  The embodiment will be described below.

  FIG. 1 shows a configuration of an electric vehicle to which the present invention is applied, a drive system for driving a motor with electric power from a rechargeable battery, a minimum configuration necessary for controlling the drive system, and an external power source. It is the figure which showed the minimum structure required in order to receive electric power supply from and charge a rechargeable battery.

  In FIG. 1, the electric power from the rechargeable battery 11 is given to the motor 13 via the drive circuit 12. The rotational driving force of the motor 13 is transmitted to the axle 15 via the differential gear 14. The control unit 10 controls the rotation drive of the motor 13 by controlling the drive circuit 12. The actual drive system includes circuit elements such as a DC / DC converter and an inverter, for example, in addition to the above-described configuration. However, the description is omitted because it is irrelevant to the gist of the present invention.

  The vehicle body of the electric vehicle is provided with a connection port 16 for charging the rechargeable battery 11 by receiving power supply from an external power source.

  When charging the rechargeable battery 11 with power from an external power source, there are normal charging and rapid charging. Normal charging is a form in which charging is performed by receiving power supply through a commercial power source, that is, a 100V or 200V outlet, and usually requires a charging time of several hours. On the other hand, rapid charging is a form in which charging is performed by receiving power supply from a facility called a rapid charging device, and charging is possible in a shorter time compared to normal charging.

  Normally, normal charging and quick charging are performed through different connection ports, but the following description will be made assuming a normal charging connection port. That is, the connection port 16 shown in FIG. 1 is a connection port for normal charging. However, the same is true even if the connection port 16 is for quick charging.

  Normal charging is a plug that can be connected to a commercial power outlet at one end by moving the electric vehicle to a location near the commercial power outlet (within a range of several meters to several tens of meters) while the rechargeable battery is full. This is performed using a connection cable having a connection portion connectable to the connection port 16 on the other end side, but is not shown in FIG.

  Instead, FIG. 1 shows an auxiliary rechargeable battery 20 used in the present embodiment. The auxiliary rechargeable battery 20 is formed by connecting an auxiliary rechargeable battery main body 21 and a connection portion 22 connectable to the connection port 16 with a power cable 23. The auxiliary rechargeable battery main body 21 and the connection portion 22 may be integrally formed. However, when the weight of the auxiliary rechargeable battery main body 21 is large, the structure connected by the power cable 23 is preferable.

  In addition, a voltage detection unit 17 is installed in the power supply path near the connection port 16 so that the detected voltage is sent to the control unit 10. Of course, the voltage detection part 17 is comprised so that the supply voltage at the time of receiving electric power supply through the connection port 16 instead of the voltage of the rechargeable battery 11 may be detected.

  FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration of the connection port 16.

  In FIG. 2, the connection port 16 has a plurality of pin terminals (male terminals) 16-3a, 16-3b, 16-3c implanted in an insulator 16-2 in a cylindrical connection port housing 16-1. Each pin terminal portion protruding outside the connection port housing 16-1 is connected to the conductor of the power cable, although not shown.

  Although only three pin terminals are shown in FIG. 2, the actual connection port includes a plurality of pin terminals in addition to the three pin terminals for supplying power. The plurality of pin terminals are used for signal transmission, for example, but at least two pin terminals are extra terminals that do not have a special purpose. In addition, the pin terminal for power supply is thicker than the other pin terminals, and is connected to the power cable to reach the rechargeable battery 11. On the other hand, pin terminals other than the pin terminals for supplying power are connected to the control unit 10.

  Although not shown, the opening of the connection port housing 16 can be opened and closed with a lid in order to prevent rain and dust from entering.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an auxiliary rechargeable battery according to an embodiment of the present invention having an auxiliary rechargeable battery connecting portion connectable to the connection port 16 shown in FIG. 4 is a view of the connecting portion of the auxiliary rechargeable battery shown in FIG. 3 as viewed from the direction of arrow A in FIG.

  In FIG. 3, the auxiliary rechargeable battery 20 is formed by connecting the auxiliary rechargeable battery main body 21 and the connection portion 22 connectable to the connection port 16 with the power cable 23 as described with reference to FIG. 1. The auxiliary rechargeable battery main body 21 accommodates a rechargeable battery in a case 21-1 made of an insulating material, and a handle 21-2 is provided in the case 21-1 so that it can be easily carried by a person.

  The connection portion 22 also includes a cylindrical housing 22-1 that can be inserted into the housing 16-1 described with reference to FIG. 2 with reference to FIG. 4, and the rear portion of the housing 22-1 is a resin case 22. -2. The housing 22-1 includes a plurality of cylindrical terminals (female terminals) 22-3a to 22-3e that correspond to the plurality of pin terminals described in FIG. In case 22-2, a conducting wire is connected to each of terminals 22-3a to 22-3e led out from housing 22-1.

  Such an auxiliary rechargeable battery 20 is always mounted on an electric vehicle in a fully charged state.

  In FIG. 4, terminals 22-3a, 22-3b, and 22-3c having large diameters are terminals for supplying power, and the conductors connected to these terminals are led out of the case 22 as power cables 23, and the auxiliary rechargeable battery main body 21. Moreover, as terminals other than the terminal for power supply, only two terminals 22-3d and 22-3e are shown for convenience, and these terminals 22-3d and 22-3e are described in FIG. It is assumed that the terminals correspond to at least two surplus terminals.

  22-5 is a hook for locking the connection state between the connection port 16 and the connection portion 22, and is displaced up and down by the push button 22-6, and is a receiving portion provided outside the housing 16-1 of the connection port 16. (Not shown in FIG. 2). Since such a lock structure is not disclosed in the gist of the present invention but is also disclosed in Patent Document 1, detailed description thereof is omitted.

  Next, a method for determining that the connection portion 16 of the auxiliary rechargeable battery 20 is connected to the connection port 16 will be described.

(First method)
The terminals in the connection portion 22 corresponding to the two surplus terminals on the connection port 16 side are previously short-circuited in the case 22-2. On the other hand, the external power supply connection portion connected to the connection port 16 when supplying power from the external power supply to the rechargeable battery 11 to perform charging also has terminals corresponding to the two surplus terminals on the connection port 16 side. Is left as it is, that is, in an electrically independent open state.

  In this way, when the voltage detection unit 17 detects a voltage equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the control unit 10 determines that power is being supplied through the connection port 16. At the same time, the control unit 10 determines whether the connection destination of the two surplus terminals on the connection port 16 side is in a short-circuited state or an open state. The interlock function is turned on, that is, the motor cannot be started. In this way, normal charging of the rechargeable battery 11 is started. The operation during charging and after completion of charging is the same as before and will not be described.

  On the other hand, when the connection destination of the two surplus terminals on the connection port 16 side is in a short circuit state, it is determined that the connection portion 22 of the auxiliary rechargeable battery 20 is connected to the connection port 16 and the interlock function is turned off. Leave as it is. In this case, when the start key of the motor 13 is operated, the motor 13 can be driven by the electric power from the auxiliary rechargeable battery main body 21, and the vehicle can run as an electric vehicle. Of course, in this case, the auxiliary rechargeable battery main body 21 is placed in the electric vehicle. After moving to a location where the nearest external power source can be used, stop the electric vehicle, remove the auxiliary rechargeable battery 20, and instead receive power from a commercial power outlet using a connection cable with an external power connection. Charging of the battery 11 is started.

  The above description is a case where the two terminals on the connection part 22 side of the auxiliary rechargeable battery 20 are in a short-circuited state. Instead, the two terminals in the external power supply connection part are also in a short-circuited state. good. The operation in the control unit 10 in this case is as follows. After the voltage detection unit 17 detects a voltage equal to or higher than a predetermined value, when the connection destination of the two surplus terminals on the connection port 16 side is in a short-circuited state, It is determined that the connecting part is connected, and the interlock function is turned off. On the other hand, when the connection destination of the two surplus terminals on the connection port 16 side is in an open state, it is determined that the connection portion 22 of the auxiliary rechargeable battery 20 is connected to the connection port 16 and the interlock function is turned off. Leave as it is.

(Second method)
In the case of an external power supply connection portion connected to the connection port 16 when supplying power from an external power supply to the rechargeable battery 11 and charging, the single phase 100V is converted to a single phase 200V and supplied via a step-up transformer. Therefore, it can be considered that the voltage at the connection port 16 during charging is 200V. On the other hand, the voltage of the auxiliary rechargeable battery 20 is set to a little higher voltage from 200V, for example, 220V or 180V.

  When the voltage detection unit 17 detects a voltage equal to or higher than a predetermined value, the control unit 10 determines that the control unit 10 is in a state of being supplied with power through the connection port 16. At the same time, the control unit 10 determines whether the voltage at the connection port 16 is 200 V or 180 (or 220) V, and when it is 200 V, the connection portion for external power supply is connected to the connection port 16. Turn on the interlock function. In this way, normal charging of the rechargeable battery 11 is started.

  On the other hand, when the voltage at the connection port 16 is 180 (or 220) V, it is determined that the connection portion 22 of the auxiliary rechargeable battery 20 is connected to the connection port 16 and the interlock function remains off. . In this case, when the start key of the motor 13 is operated, the motor 13 can be driven by the electric power from the auxiliary rechargeable battery main body 21, and the vehicle can run as an electric vehicle. After moving to a location where the nearest external power source can be used, stop the electric vehicle, remove the auxiliary rechargeable battery 20, and instead receive power from a commercial power outlet using a connection cable with an external power connection. Charging of the battery 11 is started.

  As described above, the first and second methods described above are for normal charging, but even for quick charging, there is basically no change except for the location of the connection port. However, in the case of rapid charging, the voltage detected by the voltage detection unit 17 is easily affected by changes in the charging voltage, so the first method is more preferable.

  In both the first and second methods, the power from the auxiliary rechargeable battery 20 is the same as the path for supplying the power from the rechargeable battery 11 to the motor 13 via a DC / DC converter or an inverter. Although it is supplied to the motor 13, it is preferable that a circuit that bypasses the rechargeable battery 11 is set. Such a setting can be easily realized by interposing a changeover switch, for example.

  According to the embodiment of the present invention described above, even if the external power supply device is not nearby, such as when a rechargeable battery is used up in a parking lot, particularly a mechanical parking lot, or when a rechargeable battery is used up during driving, Auxiliary rechargeable battery installed in the car can be easily connected, and it is possible to travel temporarily, and it is possible to move to a place where there is an external power supply device or a safe place even if the car is stopped. .

  In addition, although said embodiment presupposes that an electric vehicle has an interlock function, in the case of the electric vehicle which does not have an interlock function, said 1st, 2nd method The electric vehicle can be temporarily run by simply connecting the auxiliary rechargeable battery 20 to the connection port 16 of the electric vehicle without using the battery. Alternatively, the temporary running of the electric vehicle is not the temporary running by the power from the auxiliary rechargeable battery 20 but the small capacity charging to the rechargeable battery 11 by the power from the auxiliary rechargeable battery 20. 11 can be used.

  In the first method of the above embodiment, an example is described in which two surplus terminals on the connection port 16 side are used. However, this is only an example, and includes a signal transmission terminal. What is necessary is just to be comprised so that the presence or absence of conduction | electrical_connection between both terminals can be discriminate | determined between the control unit 10 and the connection part 22 using at least 1 terminal of several terminals.

20 Auxiliary Rechargeable Battery 21 Auxiliary Rechargeable Battery Body 21-1 Case 21-2 Handle 22 Auxiliary Rechargeable Battery Connection 22-1 Housing 22-2 Case 23 Power Cable

Claims (5)

In an electric vehicle that travels by driving a motor with electric power from a rechargeable battery, the electric vehicle having a connection port for receiving power supply from an external power source and charging the rechargeable battery,
When the rechargeable battery goes up, by connecting an auxiliary rechargeable battery provided with a connection portion for an auxiliary rechargeable battery that can be connected to the connection port, it is possible to temporarily run the electric vehicle by supplying power from the auxiliary rechargeable battery ,
The electric vehicle includes a control unit that controls driving of the motor,
The control unit has an interlock function that prevents the motor from starting while the external power source connection portion connected to the external power source is connected to the connection port and the rechargeable battery is being charged. And having a determination function of determining that the auxiliary rechargeable battery connection portion is connected to the connection port,
When the control unit determines that the auxiliary rechargeable battery connection portion is connected to the connection port, the control unit releases the interlock function . The electric vehicle according to claim 1 ,
Set so that a difference occurs between the voltage at the connection port when charging the rechargeable battery by power supply from the external power source and the voltage at the connection port when connecting the auxiliary rechargeable battery,
The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines, based on a voltage detected at the connection port, that the connection portion for the auxiliary rechargeable battery is connected to the connection port. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 ,
The external power supply connection portion and the auxiliary rechargeable battery connection portion each include at least two surplus terminals in addition to a plurality of terminals for power supply, while the connection port has a plurality of terminals for power supply. A plurality of terminals connectable to the at least two surplus terminals;
At least two surplus terminals of one of the external power supply connection portion and the auxiliary rechargeable battery connection portion are short-circuited, while terminals corresponding to the at least two surplus terminals of the connection port are connected to the control unit. Connected,
The control unit is connected to the connection port by determining whether or not there is a short circuit of the two surplus terminals in the connection portion for the external power source connected to the connection port and the connection portion for the auxiliary rechargeable battery. An electric vehicle characterized by determining that the auxiliary rechargeable battery connecting portion is present. An electric vehicle that runs by driving a motor with electric power from a rechargeable battery, and is an auxiliary rechargeable battery for an electric vehicle provided with a connection port for receiving power supply from an external power source and charging the rechargeable battery. ,
A connection portion for an auxiliary rechargeable battery that can be connected to the connection port is provided, and when the rechargeable battery rises, the auxiliary rechargeable battery is connected to the connection port, thereby temporarily supplying electric power from the auxiliary rechargeable battery. Enabling travel ,
The auxiliary rechargeable battery has a weight and size that can be easily carried and can be always loaded into an electric vehicle . The auxiliary rechargeable battery according to claim 4 ,
Auxiliary charging characterized in that the voltage of the auxiliary rechargeable battery is set to be higher or lower than the voltage at the connection port when charging the rechargeable battery by supplying power from the external power source. battery.

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